Molding installation method and device

ABSTRACT

A device capable of smoothly, easily and automatically installing a molding on a door panel for an automobile is provided and includes a molding installation jig and a dynamic sensor located between a jig body and an arm. The dynamic sensor is designed to detect a force applied from the molding installation jig to the molding. A finger is supported on a side of the jig body to contact and hold an end section of the molding. Three suction pads, which communicate with a vacuum device, are provided on a surface of the jig body at equal intervals. A pair of brackets having a C-shaped cross section are provided on a side surface of the jig body, which is perpendicular to the surface on which the suction pads are provided. A first roller, a second roller, and a third roller  19  are rotatably supported in each of the brackets.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an installation jig for automaticallyinstalling a molding (weather strip) on an upper end of a door panel ofan automobile (outer panel or inner trim), an installation device(robot) provided with that installation jig at the tip of an arm and amethod for installing the molding with the installation device.

BACKGROUND ART

As disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a molding (weather strip) isinstalled on upper ends of an outer panel and an inner trim configuringa door panel of an automobile; a lip section of the molding is broughtinto contact onto a window glass surface so that droplets and dusts willnot enter the door panel in its inside at an occasion when the windowglass is lowered.

As for the above described molding installation, automatic installationwith a robot is carried out conventionally. That automatic installationis carried out by position control with a robot subjected to teaching ofan installation position.

Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No.10-100681

As described above, conventionally a molding is installed by automaticinstalling with a robot. However, installation is carried out only bycontrolling the positions of the robot. Therefore, unreasonable force isapplied to the molding and the automobile body which can be occasionallydamaged. In order to avoid this, a dedicated device for detectingabnormal operations is required beside the installation robot, givingrise to cost increase and deterioration in workability.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the above described problems, a molding installationjig according to the present invention comprises a suction pad forsucking a side surface of a molding; a finger brought into contact fromthe longitudinal direction of the molding; a roller for pressing themolding downward in order to fit the molding in a roller door panel anda roller for pressing the molding toward the inner side of an automobilebody; and a dynamic sensor for detecting pressing force by thoserollers, and a molding installation device is configured by providingthe molding installation jig on respective tip sections of two armswhich are driven independently.

A dynamic sensor detects pressing force applied to the molding, andthereby occurrence of an abnormal operation can be determined instantly.In addition, deformation of the molding shape can be treated easily.Therefore, one molding installation jig can carry out fitting ofmoldings in different shapes.

In addition, a roller for pressing a molding downward and a roller forpressing the molding toward the interior of an automobile body are usedso as not to damage the molding. In addition, suction pads for sucking aside surface of a molding and a finger for pressing the molding in thelongitudinal direction are used to facilitate installation and removalof a molding.

In addition, molding installation jigs are provided at the tips of twoarms which are independently driven. With this, the attitude of themolding can be changed arbitrarily, which make is possible to fit themolding into the upper end of a door panel easily without interferingwith the other members.

Also, according to a molding installation method by using the abovedescribed molding installation device, the dynamic sensor is used not toapply force of a predetermined value or more to a molding. Such aconfiguration enables a molding to smoothly fit into the upper end of adoor panel.

According to the present invention, in order to install a molding ontothe upper end of a door panel, the molding can be smoothly installedwithout damaging the molding or an automobile body with unreasonableforce. In addition, the molding installation jig itself is smaller andlighter than conventional ones. Therefore, a device (robot) in which themolding installation jig is incorporated becomes compact.

Moreover, in a case where the shape of a molding or a door panel ischanged, the installation device can be used only by inputtinginformation thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a molding installation area where a moldinginstallation device according to the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the molding installation device;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a molding installation jig provided at a tip ofan arm of the molding installation device;

FIG. 4 is a view seen from A direction of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view seen from B direction of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view showing a first step among steps for installing amolding on a door panel;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a state where an end of the molding is lowered;

FIG. 8 is a view showing a state where a pressing finger of one moldinginstallation jig is caused to retreat;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a state where the molding istemporarily engaged;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a state where the molding is fitinto the upper end of a door panel from the temporarily engaged state;and

FIG. 11 is a diagram similar to FIG. 10 showing another embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below withreference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of amolding installation area where a molding installation device accordingto the present invention is applied, and there is provided an automobiledoor conveyance line 1. A pallet 2 is intermittently conveyed from rightto left in the drawing along that conveyance line 1. A right side door Wand a left side door W are alternately placed on each pallet 2.

A roller conveyer 3 is arranged along the automobile door conveyanceline 1. A bucket 4 for stocking a molding is provided on a side of theroller conveyer 3, and a predetermined molding M is set on the pallet 5from the bucket 4. In this embodiment, a pair of left and right moldingsM are set on the pallet 5 so as to move from left to right on the rollerconveyer 3 and the pallet 5 having been made vacant is caused to returnto the original position (not illustrated in the drawing).

In addition, two molding installation devices 6 according to the presentinvention are arranged along the roller conveyer 3. One moldinginstallation device 6 is for the right side door W. The other moldinginstallation device 6 is for the left side door W.

Each of the molding installation devices 6 has molding installation jigs10 and 100 provided on the tip section of two arms 7 and 8 which aredriven independently. Since the molding installation jig 10 and themolding installation jig 100 are different only in the position of afinger for retaining the molding in the longitudinal direction, only themolding installation jigs 10 will be described in detail with referenceto FIG. 2 to FIG. 5. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the molding installationdevice, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a molding installation jig provided ata tip of an arm of the molding installation device, FIG. 4 is a viewseen from A direction of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a view seen from Bdirection of FIG. 3.

The molding installation jig 10 has a dynamic sensor 12 between a jigbody 11 and the arm 7. The dynamic sensor 12 is designed to detect forceapplied from the molding installation jig 10 to the molding M andrecognize completion of work when the value thereof reaches apredetermined value.

A finger 13 is supported on a side of the jig body 11 as a means forcontacting and holding an end section of the molding M. The finger 13 islinked to a cylinder unit 14 and moves forward and backward by drivingthe cylinder unit 14.

Also, three suction pads 15 communicating with a vacuum device areprovided on a surface of the jig body 11 at equal intervals. The suctionpads 15 protrude in the same direction as the forward and backwarddirection of the finger 13.

Further, a pair of brackets 16 having a C-shaped cross section areprovided on a side surface of the jig body 11 which is perpendicular tothe surface on which the suction pads 15 are provided. A first roller17, a second roller 18, and a third roller 19 are rotatably supported ineach of the brackets 16.

Next, with the molding installation device 6 configured as describedabove, a procedure of installing a molding M on an outer panel of aright side door W will be described with reference to FIG. 6 to FIG. 10.FIG. 6 is a view showing a first step among steps for installing amolding on a door panel, FIG. 7 is a view showing a state where an endof the molding is lowered, FIG. 8 is a view showing a state where apressing finger of one molding installation jig is caused to retreat,FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a state where the molding istemporarily engaged, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a statewhere the molding is fit into the upper end of a door panel from thetemporarily engaged state. Since a left side door undergoes the sameoperation, an explanation thereof will be omitted.

At first, the arms 7 and 8 are caused to come closer to each other. Thefingers 13 of the left and right molding installation jigs 10 and 100are brought into contact to the molding M from the longitudinaldirection thereof as illustrated in FIG. 6. Further the suction pads 15suck the both end sections of the molding M and thereby hold the moldingM between the left and right molding installation jigs 10 and 100. Inthis instance, the molding M is substantially parallel to the upper endof an outer door panel P.

Subsequently, the arm 8 of the molding installation device 6 is loweredas illustrated in FIG. 7 to engage an end of the molding M with theouter door panel P. Further the arms 7 and 8 are moved to stick the endof the molding M on a garnish G. In this instance, the finger 13 of themolding installation jig 10 is in contact with an end of the molding M.Therefore, in the other end near to the garnish G, the finger 13 isretreated in advance as illustrated in FIG. 8. Incidentally, the end ofthe molding M is held by the suction pads 15 of the molding installationjig 100.

Subsequently, the arm 7 on which the molding installation jig 10 isprovided is lowered to temporarily engage the entire molding M with theouter door panel P. FIG. 9 shows this state. That is, the upper end ofthe outer door panel P enters the molding M. A lip section L of themolding M is in contact with a window glass, and with its reactionforce, the upper section of the molding M is inclined toward the outsideof the automobile body.

From this state, the holding state with the finger 13 and the suctionpads 15 is released; the arms 7 and 8 of the molding installation device6 are operated to change the directions of the molding installation jigs10 and 100, the first roller 17 is applied to the upper section of themolding M and the second roller 17 is applied to the side section of themolding M as illustrated in FIG. 10, and the molding M is presseddownward and toward the inside of the automobile body so as to be fitinto the upper end of the outer door panel P.

Incidentally, the pressing direction of the molding M does not need tobe precisely downward and sideward but can be in an oblique direction.

Force applied to the molding M at the time of being fit is detected withthe dynamic sensor 12 all the time. When the applied force exceeds apredetermined value, the work is stopped. With this, it is possible toavoid a disadvantage that the molding M or the automobile body isdamaged.

FIG. 11 is a diagram similar to FIG. 10 showing another embodiment. Inthis embodiment, a molding M which is large in the vertical dimension isfit. In this case, the first roller 17 is not used. The molding M is fitin a state where the second roller 18 is brought into contact with theupper section of the molding M and the third roller 19 is brought intocontact with the side section of the molding M.

In the drawings, the molding is provided at the upper end of the outerpanel of the door. However, the present invention is also applicable toa case where the molding is provided at the upper end of an inner trimof the door.

1. A molding installation device comprising: a rigidly mounted base; afirst arm having one end attached to the base and a distal end extendingoutward from the base; a first molding installation jig attached to thedistal end of the first arm; a second arm having one end attached to thebase and a distal end extending outward from the base; and a secondmolding installation jig attached to the distal end of the second arm,wherein each molding installation jig comprises: a jig body; a fingerattached to a side of the jig body and adapted to be moved into contactwith a molding from a longitudinal direction of the molding; a suctionpad attached to a surface of the jig body and adapted to hold a sidesurface of the molding; a first roller attached to the jig body andadapted to press the molding downward in order to fit the molding in aroller door panel; a second roller attached to the jig body and adaptedto press the molding toward an inner side of an automobile body; and apressure sensor to attached between the jig body and the distal end ofthe arm, wherein the pressure sensor detects a pressing forceexperienced by the rollers.
 2. The molding installation device of claim1 further comprising a third roller attached to the jig body and adaptedto press a side section of the molding toward an outer door panel. 3.The molding installation device of claim 2, wherein installation of themolding is complete when the pressure sensor senses a predeterminedvalue.
 4. The molding installation device of claim 3, wherein the firstarm and the second arm are driven independently of each other.